Improvement in hoop-skirts



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Witnesses:

Mme MW UNITED STATES PATENT 'OEETcEC ALBERT CARTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES C. CARPENTER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOOP-SKIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 113,854, dated April 18, 1871.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT CARTER, of the city, county, and State ot' Newr York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hoop-Skirts; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full and correct description of the same, sufficient to enable others skilled in the manufacture to which my invention appertains to fully understand and construct the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which makes part of this speci tication, and in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of my new improvement. Fig. 2 represents a rear view; and Fig. 3 is a detached view of part of the same, showing a modification.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in both iigures.

My invention relates to that class ot' hoopskirts constructed of an upper or bustle nest of hoops, which is united to or with a lower or skirt nest of hoops by means of a series of vertical tapes; and it consists in a series of counter-braces,of any suitable pliant material, arranged within the horizontal space between the separate nests of hoops, and between, or partially between, the vertical tapes, so as to leave the front unobstructed, and to prevent the lower nest from swinging, as well as the dress from sinking, by its own gravit-y, into the open spaces between the vertical tapes.

The bustle nest ot' hoops A is formed by separate wires, joined together by tapes so as to leave an open space at the front.

The lower nest of hoops, B, is formed by a continuous hoop, commencing from about the knees and terminating at the bottom; or it may be formed of consecutive separate hoops. These nests are united to each other by vertical tapes C, fastened to the waistband and to each hoop of the nest, leaving an open space between the latter.

Thus far there is no noveltyin the construction of the hoop-skirt; but without some further provision to steady the lower nest of hoops the same would, in walking, swing from side to side, thus incommoding the wearer greatly, and the open spaces between the vertical tapes C and the two nests of hoops A and B would allow the dress, by its own gr vity,to sink into these spaccs,which would be especially the case with dresses having long trails, and with which very wide hoop-skirts are worn, for in that case the dress falls away from the person of the wearer at a greater angle and nearer to a horizontal line.

, To obviate these ditliculties without closing the space between the upper and lower nests of hoops (which space is a material advantage to the hoop-skirt) by hoops or other rigid means, I arrange braces E F, made of tape or other pliable material, in the sections formed by the tapes C, so as to cross cach other within these sections of space. They are united at their junction and to the nest of hoops so as to form counter-braces to steady the set of the lower nest of hoops, the braces E acting as such when the hoops swing in one direction, but inoperative as braces when the hoops will move in the opposite direction, when the braces F come into operation. These braces maybe arranged either singlyor in pairs within each section, or may be arranged iso that one brace extends over two sections, as shown in Fig. 3. They may be constructed and attached singly and separately, or maybe formed by passing a tape continuously over the lower hoop of the upper nest and the upper hoop ot' the lower nest, alternately, it being secured to thehoops and at the crossings by suitable means.

The great advantage of these braces is, that they prevent the lower nest of hoops from swinging, while they are not at all in the way when sitting down, and they also keep the dress ot' the wearer smooth, as they prevent the same from sinking in at the open spaces between the upper and lower nests of hoops and vertical tapes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i In'a hoop-skirt consisting of an upper and a lower nest of hoops, united by vertical tapes, the braces E F, when constructed of pliable material, and arranged between each section ot" space between the vertical tapes, substantiall y as and for the purpose described.

ALBERT CARTER.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. LocKwooD, ALEXR. A. C. KLAUQKE. 

